The Most Precious Gift
by JKO73
Summary: Deeks is lonely without Kensi and becoming more despondent the longer she's away. Hetty suggests he opens the box Kensi gave him many months ago. In return he sends her a box. And they're reunited in the epilogue. Now complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer None of the characters are mine. Wish they were.**

**A/N What's in the box? Will we **_**ever**_** be satisfied with the answer?! **

**Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

It was the end of another long day. More bad guys, more bullets, more bruises. Three men, dirty, exhausted and emotionally drained, walked slowly to their desks. Each dropped roughly into his seat without looking or talking to the others. No-one knew what to say and the consequent silence was deafening. Some cases were more challenging than others and cases involving children were usually unpleasant. Cases involving children you were unable to save were the hardest of all.

"Beer? We need beer."

"I'm in Sam. You coming Deeks?"

"Think I'll pass."

"Come on man, you haven't been out with us in weeks. It's been a hellish day."

"Appreciate the offer Callen, but no. Thanks though."

"Deeks, you need to come have a beer with us."

"No Sam. That is _not_ what I need."

Callen and Sam stole a quick glance at each other. Neither of them asked the young detective what he needed because they both knew. Everyone knew what Deeks needed, and not just tonight. They also knew there wasn't a damn thing they could do to give it to him.

"Ok man, we get it. If you change your mind, give us a shout."

"Thanks Sam. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night Deeks."

"Night Callen."

The two older men grabbed their bags and shot their colleague sympathetic looks before heading towards the exit. Deeks smiled as he heard the Partners bantering together as they headed out the door.

"_Partners," _he mused. _"Lucky them."_ He missed having Partner. He smiled ruefully and smoothed his hand over the blonde scruff on his cheeks. He didn't miss having _a_ Partner. He missed having _her_ as his Partner. "_Actually, scratch that"_ he thought to himself_. "I don't miss having her as my Partner. I just miss her."_

He sighed, slowly and deeply, and slumped forward, elbows resting on his thighs, his face falling into his hands. He tried to steady his breathing, attempting to quell the rising feelings of anxiety and engulfing sadness.

It had been weeks. Weeks. And nothing, no news at all. No phone call, email, letter. Not even a text. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Where was she? What was she doing? Who was looking out for her? Was she safe? And, most importantly, when would she be home? Deeks' mind went into overdrive, a thousand questions surging forward. He clamped his teeth onto his bottom lip to stop it quivering. _"Come on Deeks, man up. She wouldn't want you to fall apart."_

He was worried that was exactly what was happening. She was his rock, his anchor. She had been the one to tether him to his sanity in the aftermath of Siderov's torture and without her, the task of continuing to heal was daunting and gruelling. She was God knows where, indefinitely. It was the indefinitely part that was killing him. He just needed to know when she would be home.

3 months? Reasonable. He'd find ways to pass the time - surf more, work hard, have drinks with the team maybe. 6 months? Fine. All of that plus he'd commit more time to the shelter, maybe actually do some of those personal development courses she was always nagging him about. A year? Ok. Maybe he'd learn another language, perhaps finally let Sam teach him some SEAL hand to hand combat techniques. More than a year? Geeze. What would he do? He could almost hear her voice. _"You'll take it one day at a time."_

He knew he would cope. He was a patient man and he would willingly wait for her to return, to him, regardless of the time that may take. He chuckled sombrely, _"I've waited years already. I can wait a while longer."_ He just wanted to know how long his life would be on pause. If he had some, any, idea of her return date he could at least mark it on a calendar and count down the days. Even a rough estimate would be better than no idea at all.

He sank back in his chair, his manner defeated. He was fully aware of one person who held the answers to his questions, some of them at least. But she had resolutely refused to engage in any conversation about his Partner's classified mission or respond to the countless queries that exploded from his mouth every time he saw her.

Hetty. His face hardened, his mouth setting in a firm line and his brow furrowing at the mere thought of his boss. Hetty. He had thought she was on his side, in their corner. Hell, he'd even felt encouraged by her to push his partnership with Kensi to the next stage. He could not understand her behaviour, her reason for separating them so quickly without giving them the opportunity to achieve a balance between their professional and personal lives, or why she continued to add to his angst by not sharing any information about his Partner's whereabouts or wellbeing.

Deeks shook his head. He knew Hetty. He trusted her. There _must_ be an explanation for her decisions. He was damned if he could come up with one though. He wondered if that was because all his exhausted and wretched mind could focus on was Kensi. Her smile, her laugh, everything. And the fact that she wasn't here. Where she belonged.

Long moments passed as Deeks sat in the dimly lit bullpen, staring at his Partner's desk, picturing her talking to him over piles of clutter, donut in one hand, twirling her pony tail with the other. He simultaneously smiled at the image he had conjured up and let out a small groan as a wave of loneliness, coupled with a deep longing to see her, talk to her, touch her, washed over him.

His mind continuously replayed the day she had been reassigned; the events, the actions, the conversations. Her punching him in the face had stunned him. It had been some time since he had seen that depth of anger in her eyes, particularly directed towards him. He had struggled to breathe as she'd described the frozen lake scenario. Her total sincerity as it became clear that he was her frozen lake, that a 'them' was what she desired most in the world, had momentarily lifted his spirits before the crashing realisation hit him that trying to cross a frozen lake would destroy you, as the ice cracked all around you, under your feet.

Deeks remembered how she had caught him off guard and instead of shattering his hopes, had in fact triggered feelings of elation as she categorically stated her intention to work things out, promising to talk about their thing. Despite his current gloomy mood, a grin broke across Deeks' face as he recalled how she had looked at that exact moment. Sure of what she wanted but a little nervous, shy even. Kensi Marie Blye, shy? He had drawn on every ounce of will power he possessed to walk away from her, back towards the ambulance rather than pull her towards him and kiss her senseless. The grin faded as regret hit him for not doing exactly that. What if he hadn't made it crystal clear that of course he would be patient with her? That he would do anything to make it work? What if she hadn't understood his true intentions? What if she had flown thousands of miles away with even the smallest doubt in her mind that he wasn't totally committed to her, their thing? Deeks' eyes closed as his mind continued to recollect and reflect. He was so absorbed in his thoughts he failed to realise he was not alone until a voice jogged him from his despondent trance.

"Good evening Mr Deeks".

Deeks' head snapped up as he saw the diminutive figure standing in front of him. "Hetty."

"You're still here."

He shrugged. "Nowhere else I need to be."

"You're thinking about Ms Blye?"

"Uh huh."

"You blame me for your current situation?"

"I don't really want to talk about it…"

"You are mad at me."

"Dogs get mad. People get angry."

"You are angry then."

"Yes, ok. I am angry. With you. You _know_ how I feel about her, you've known for a long time. And you sent her away, just as we were trying to make our thing work. So I am hurt and worried and confused and, and, yes, _angry_ that because of you I have no idea where she is or if she's safe or when she's coming home. And I'm angry that you won't alleviate any of my concerns by sharing even the smallest crumb of information about her mission with me."

"My intentions were honourable. You will have to trust that I always act in what I believe to be the best interests of my team."

"I was good. We were good. I was so close Hetty. So close to my life being really really good. But now I have nothing tangible at least, only hope, and whilst I'd like to say that I'm still your glass half full kinda guy, my glass is emptying fast."

The woman's features softened, almost imperceptibly as she heard the desolation in the young man's voice. "She did leave you something Mr Deeks, don't forget that."

Deeks' eyes flicked immediately to the knife next to his computer. It was her Dad's. He had almost refused to take it from her but had relented upon realising the magnitude of Kensi's gesture and what it represented. Now it lay on his desk, a reminder of a poignant moment between them.

"Sometimes a knife is just a knife."

"And sometimes it isn't. However, I wasn't referring to the knife."

Deeks' head followed Hetty's hand to where she was pointing. He glanced towards the window, at the tall shelving unit pressed against the wall. His eyes widened slightly and a look of comprehension crossed his features. Of course. The box. Kensi had given him the box months ago and it had remained unopened. If he was honest, he hadn't thought about the box much recently, certainly not to the same degree as when she first presented it to him. He genuinely didn't know what was in it and wasn't sure he wanted to. All he knew was that Kensi, who he wanted to understand him better than anyone else, thought she was giving him something he'd always wanted. And that, perversely, made him reluctant to open it. What if she was wrong? What if she had totally misjudged him? What if whatever was inside the box was a total let down? Therefore he had chosen to leave the box sealed and live with the mild curiosity that came with not knowing, but also the belief that everything he'd ever wanted had been given to him by the person he cared about most in the world, rather than assuage his inquisitiveness and deal with potentially unprecedented levels of disappointment.

He wondered if now was the best time to open it. He had always imagined that he would undo the box when Kensi was with him. At the very least he had expected to be able to phone her once he'd seen the contents, maybe to thank her or to tease her a little about what she'd given him.

Hetty started to walk out the bullpen, turning slightly to look at Deeks. "Open it. Open the box." Deeks looked from Hetty to the box and to Hetty again. He raised his eyebrows in a silent question. "Now is the right time Mr Deeks."

With that, Hetty stepped towards her desk, leaving Deeks sat at his, staring up at the box. _"Don't be an idiot, go get the box."_ Deeks stood slowly, hooking his thumbs into the front pockets of his worn, pale denim jeans. He cleared his throat in an attempt to dislodge the knotted ball of nerves which seemed to have taken residence there. But he didn't move, his leaden feet refused to progress to the object in question. _"Fetch the box,"_ he told himself firmly. Gradually, Deeks advanced from behind his desk and shuffled, almost reluctantly, towards the shelves, his eyes never leaving the box. _"Just take it off the shelf. You don't have to open it."_

Hurriedly, before he could change his mind, Deeks reached up and grabbed the box, noting how light it was before placing it gently on his desk, next to the knife. Now he had two gifts from Kensi. The box. And the knife. His gaze shifted between the two items and before he had time to question himself, he picked up the knife and removed its cover. He deliberately manoeuvred his hand so that the knife rested against the seal on the top of the box and then hesitated. He exhaled loudly and focussed on steeling his nerves and quivering hands.

"_Just open the box. She gave it to you; she wanted you to find out what was in it." _And with that thought in mind, Deeks took a deep breath and nicked the tape with Kensi's knife. Swiftly he sliced the entire way along the tape and lifted the two edges of the box apart, all the time taking care not to actually look into the package. So there he stood, knife in one hand, the other rubbing the scruff on his cheeks, the box open, gathering his courage to look inside.

"_Come on Marty, just look. What's the worst that could happen? So what if it's not exactly what you were hoping for. It's still a gift from Kensi, right? And she gave it to you months ago, she knows you better now so would it really be such a disappointment if she'd got it wrong back then?"_ Deeks battled to convince himself he wasn't actually bothered what was in the box but despite his best efforts, groaned aloud in frustration, recognising that he was desperate for it to be exactly what she'd promised, _"something that he's always wanted, more than anything else in the world."_

"_Ok, you can do this. Just take a look."_ Deeks returned his trembling hands to the top of the box and gingerly prised the severed cardboard apart. He peeked inside, his eyes fixing on its contents, glimpsing his prize for finally being brave enough to open the box. He reverently lifted it out and placed it delicately on his desk, staring intently at it whilst blinking back the tears which were rapidly pooling in his eyes. He exhaled loudly, letting out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding for so long. He widened his stance, trying to steady his shaking legs and slid a hand into his blonde hair as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him.

"Wow." He murmured. "This, this changes everything." Deeks dragged his chair towards him without taking his eyes off the gift and sat down heavily, not moving for several moments, just staring at the object on his desk. For perhaps the first time in his life he was genuinely stunned into silence, speechless.

"_Life doesn't get any better than this moment, right now 'cause everything I ever wanted was inside this box," he whispered softly._

Kensi had been right. She had been 100%, totally, absolutely, correct. Deeks was blown away that she had known back then what he wanted the most, yet she had never said. She had waited patiently for him to be ready to open the box and now, now she wasn't there to see the impact of what she had given him, to understand the consequences. Being unable to share all the emotions that were running wild in his mind, his heart, with her was exasperating. He wanted her to know, to truly comprehend what her gift had meant to him, how much he valued it and its significance. It seemed so unfair, so wrong that she wasn't aware of its effect.

"I can make it right." He stated loudly. Pushing up and away from his desk, striding further into the mission he yelled, "Hetty. Hetty."

"Is there something I can do for you Mr Deeks?" Hetty's face showed mild curiosity combined with the slightest smile.

"There is. I need a favour. A big one."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N Thank you so much for all the amazing feedback to this story. Every review, every PM, every comment – all very much appreciated. **

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

"Goodnight Deeks." Kensi had been right all those months ago. It _was_ nice to have someone to say goodnight to; she only wished she could say it whilst looking into her Partner's eyes rather than to the empty space surrounding her as she lay, wriggling to get comfortable, on her small bunk inside a tent in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan.

Kensi had been alone for many years. She had kept people at arm's length, even those who cared about her, spent time on her own including birthdays and Christmas, but she had not felt this lonely since her Father died. She _missed_ Deeks. She knew it wasn't simply because she was tired or cold or bored or unclear about her mission objectives or away from her mother and friends. She missed _Deeks_. She missed his kindness and patience, his protection and dependability, his jokes and chatter, his smile, his laugh, everything. She just missed _him_.

A woman's voice from outside the tent disturbed her reverie. "Kensi, are you asleep?"

"Rachel? No, I'm just about to get an early night. You ok? Come in." Although Rachel Harris hadn't exactly welcomed Kensi with open arms, she had thawed towards her since realising she wasn't about to be replaced. Besides, Kensi was glad for any company that may distract her from the abject loneliness she was currently experiencing.

"I was on my way to bed too. Noticed that you hadn't picked up a parcel that arrived for you today. Thought it might be important so I decided to drop it in as I went by."

"A parcel? For me?" Kensi took it from Rachel's outstretched hands and set it beside her on the blanket, barely glancing at it as she looked at Rachel for further information.

"Correct. Sent urgently on the orders of Hetty Lange apparently. As I said, assumed it was important."

"Oh, ok. I see. I wonder what Hetty would need to send me?"

"There's an envelope stuck on the top, I expect it'll contain the details you need. Alternatively you can always open it, you know, open the box."

Kensi couldn't help her lips twitching into a smile as she heard Rachel's words, as she recalled saying something very similar after catching Deeks shaking the box she had given him.

"Something funny?" queried Rachel, looking puzzled.

"No, nothing. Just thinking of home."

"Ok then." Rachel nodded abruptly. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night. Thanks."

Kensi watched as Rachel exited the tent before turning her attention to the box lying in front of her. As she looked at it properly for the first time her breath caught in her throat and her heart began beating faster than she'd ever thought it could as she realised who had scrawled Special Agent Kensi Blye on the envelope. It wasn't Hetty. It was most definitely Deeks' writing.

Deeks had sent her a parcel? She chuckled quietly. _"He's given me a box? Oh, he's given me a box."_ Her happiness ended abruptly and the smile on her face was replaced by a frown as her anxieties took over. What was in the box? What was in the envelope? She considered putting the box on the floor, getting back into bed and waiting until morning to decide when or whether to open it. However, patience wasn't Kensi's greatest virtue and despite her nerves she concluded that she should at least open the letter tonight. _"I don't have to open the box. But he's gone to the trouble of sending me a parcel so the least I can do is read what he has to say. How bad can it be, right? If he had something dreadful to say he wouldn't send a gift as well, surely? Unless he's trying to soften the blow? Maybe he's fed up waiting for me to return from this mission? Perhaps he thinks I chose to leave without saying goodbye?"_ Kensi's panic started to run wild before she pulled herself up sharply. _"Don't be silly. Just open the envelope. At least then you'll know."_

She ripped the letter from the top of the box and, placing her thumb in the tiny opening at the corner of the envelope, steadily worked her way along the crease. She slowly removed the sheet from inside, smoothing out the wrinkles against her thigh and smiled as she saw Deeks' scruffy writing covering the page. Kensi raised the paper to her face, inhaling deeply, only to feel supreme dissatisfaction on discovering no trace of his scent. She rolled her eyes. _"What were you thinking? That the smell of sunscreen, sand and the ocean would survive an 8,000 mile trip from Los Angeles to Afghanistan? Idiot." _She lowered her eyes, blinked away the moisture gathering in them and swallowed her apprehension. _"Ok, now read it."_

_Hey Kens_

_I did it. I finally did it. I opened the box! And you were right. It was everything I always wanted. How could you possibly have known what that was, all those months ago? I should never have considered you getting it wrong, not for a second._

_It seems only fair that I tell you how much it meant to me. When I opened the box I was relieved, touched, emotional, overwhelmed. But not really about the contents. The gift itself is all kinds of fantastic, of course it is. But essentially it is expendable. The feeling it gave me, however, is priceless and will remain with me forever. I now know without doubt I'm cared about and valued. That I matter to someone. I haven't had that in a very long time. And the most amazing part of it all is the person who cares about me and values me and I matter to, is you. _

_Thank you seems so inadequate. We both know I'm better with actions than words so hurry back to me and I promise I will do whatever is necessary to make you feel the same, however long it takes._

_In the meantime, here is something for you. Your very own box! I'm hoping that it may just be what you've always wanted, more than anything else in the world. So, how about it Kensalina? What's in the box?! Open it and find out._

_You asked me to be patient and as soon as you're home, I will be, I promise. You can set the pace for 'our thing' and we'll move as slowly as you want. But right at this moment I need to tell you that I miss you. A lot. And I'm lonely without you. Being so far apart is slowly driving me crazy. I think about you every day and cannot wait to see you, touch you, hold you. I wanted to spend Christmas together, to make new memories. Without you it will be meaningless, just another day. _

_After you come back, we can totally pretend I didn't write those things but I wanted to confess them now so that if you're missing me too, reading this may bring you some comfort. You're not there alone, Kens. I'm with you every step of the way. Even though you don't see me, I'm there. In your head and in your heart._

_Stay safe. Please. And open the box!_

_Yours, always._

_Deeks x_

A loud sniffle resonated through the tent as a solitary tear trickled down Kensi's cheek, past her chin and dripped onto the letter held in her motionless hands. As she wiped her eyes a look of relief settled on her face. He had opened the box, at last. He had liked the present and more importantly he had appreciated the significance of her gift. He had recognised what she had been trying to tell him without her having to put it into words. Because he understood her, them, their thing.

Kensi re-read his letter. He had written exactly what he meant. He missed her, was thinking about her. She wondered if the fact that she was happy about that made her not a very nice person. _"Not that I want him to be unhappy, of course not, but I am glad he misses me like I miss him."_

She was a little surprised that she was more comforted than scared at reading his words. _"Maybe it's easier to read those things than listen to him tell me?"_ This way there was no pressure to respond, to find the right reply. She didn't have to watch his confidence falter as she stuttered for the best words to express her feelings or see the apprehension in his eyes, fearing that he'd said the wrong thing, pushed too far, moved too fast. She didn't have to worry that her reaction would be inadequate or that she would hurt him by failing to say what he wanted to hear. Maybe it was purely because she felt so alone, miles from home, from him, and she was grateful to know he shared those sentiments. Whatever the reason, she was pleased he had found the courage to write down his feelings in a letter and delighted that he had somehow persuaded Hetty to send it to her. _"How on earth did he do that? The mission is classified…"_

"_And now I also have a box." _Kensi couldn't help it; her mouth pulled up slightly at the corners as she considered the neatly wrapped parcel sitting in front of her on the bed. _"He's given me a box!"_

"Touché." She said aloud to herself. _"Did I use that right…?"_

Her thoughts headed swiftly into a debate about whether to open the box – tonight, tomorrow, some other undefined time, ever. The pros and cons of opening the box and when best to do it whirled through her mind. If she was totally honest, she wanted to do it now, curiosity was getting the better of her. How could she possibly go to sleep knowing there was an unopened gift from Deeks under her bunk, just waiting to be opened? However, once it was open she would know for certain, as soon as she saw the contents of the box, if he really understood what she wanted more than anything else in the world. Should she risk her heart experiencing such a devastating disappointment if he had got it wrong? Was now the right time, when she was already in such an emotional and vulnerable state? Could she do it? _"Am I brave enough?"_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N – Wow, thank you so much for all the lovely reviews. They really mean a lot. And apologies for chapter 3 taking a little longer to put up than expected…decided to write/post my Christmas fic instead of cracking on with this!**

**And we're all going to have to pretend the sat phone conversation never took place…had started this before the episode aired and I tried to make it fit but couldn't. It was a fab scene though wasn't it…?!**

**Happy New Year!**

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

"_Pah, of course I am."_ Determined to be bold, Kensi began to rip the paper away from the box. Once the wrapping had been discarded, she sat back briefly, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply, before lifting up the lid and peering inside. "_Please, please, please let him be right. Let him understand what means the most to me."_

And suddenly there it was. Sitting amongst hundreds of tiny styrofoam balls. Her gift from Deeks.

Kensi's eyes opened wide in surprise at the box's contents and a joyful snort of laughter bubbled from her lips, shortly followed by a sob and a cascade of tears. Painstakingly slowly, she reached into the box and pulled out her present, swiping away the excess packaging. Cradling it gently, she pulled it nearer, holding it close to her body, almost as if she could imagine it was him sitting next to her.

Her sniffles subsided and she dried her eyes as gradually a smile returned to her face. "It's perfect." She muttered. It was inexpensive, definitely not unique and, if truth be told, a little cheesy. But it said more than a thousand words ever could and told her exactly what she needed to hear.

As someone so used to keeping her feelings in check, Kensi was overwhelmed by her reaction and subsequent inability to control the ensuing surge of sentiments flooding her mind.

"Everything I ever wanted, everything I needed from him, was inside this box" she whispered quietly.

"_Of course it was. He knows me. He really, truly, knows me. He knows my weaknesses, hidden secrets and deepest anxieties. He knows so much and yet he hasn't left." _

She exhaled shakily and looked once again at the object in front of her on the bed, running her forefinger across it. One small item in a brightly wrapped box had proved, totally, absolutely, with no room for uncertainty or scepticism, he accepted her for who she was, quirks, foibles and all, and that he wanted her because of them, rather than in spite of them.

"_He is always there when I need him. He seems to understand what I need and when."_ Kensi's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she realised the tacit message represented by the gift was simply the latest in a long list of gestures meant to soothe her dread of abandonment and rejection and encourage her faith in him to be the one to remain by her side.

Kensi was consumed by her need for him to truly comprehend how grateful she was for his tolerance and perseverance, for his commitment to her. Mostly she was anxious to thank him for having the strength to send a gift which laid his heart on the line in an attempt to offer reassurance and conquer her fears.

Being so far away and unable to reveal those feelings to him was exasperating and as her agitation grew, Kensi began to pace whilst trying to compose herself. It was wrong that he should be left wondering how she had reacted to the gift; that he remained unaware of its impact on her. Surely he had a right to know the effect of his actions? She chuckled sadly as she realised the irony of those thoughts. Kensi suspected she would have been unable to voice her response to the gift if he had been sat two feet in front of her. There was no doubt she found it difficult to express her feelings, to talk about their 'thing' at the best of times, let alone when she was overwhelmed by something as significant as this.

Then she remembered how she had felt reading his letter. Seeing the words 'I miss you' had provided solace rather than causing tension, reading that he thought about her every day had triggered feelings of relief and warmth as opposed to apprehension and unease. Maybe if it was easier to read those things than listen to him tell her, it would be easier to write what she was thinking than to say it.

"I can make it right." She stated loudly. Pushing up and away from her bed, striding out of her sleeping quarters towards where she knew the Assistant Director was resting, she yelled, "Granger. Granger."

"Is there something I can do for you Agent Blye?" Granger's face showed mild curiosity combined with the slightest smile.

"There is. I need a favour. A big one."

**XOXOOXOXOXOXOX**

The only noise coming from the bullpen was the steady 'tap, tap, tap' of fingers typing on a keyboard, followed by a loud sigh as Deeks looked at his watch. _"10.50 pm on New Year's Eve and I'm at work?"_ He gave a rueful chuckle as he turned back to the pile of paperwork on his desk.

A voice broke through his forced concentration. "Mr Deeks."

"Hetty."

"You should go home, ring in the new year. Don't you have plans?"

"I do Hetty. Me, Monty, a cold beer and some TV. You?" He asked more out of politeness than genuine interest.

"Still trying to decide between the many offers I received."

"Oh, er ok…"

"Before you go Mr Deeks, check your desk drawer. There was a delivery for you earlier and I put it in there for safe keeping."

"Thank you Hetty. And happy new year."

"Happy new year to you too Mr Deeks." She smiled at him before turning away. "I hope 2014 is kind to you."

"So do I Hetty." Deeks muttered in response. "Less physical pain and heartbreak than 2013 would be great."

Deeks opened the drawer and immediately noticed a plain brown envelope with 'Detective Marty Deeks' scrawled across it. In Kensi's writing. With no hesitation he pushed aside the two twinkies and 3 peanut butter cups he kept in the drawer for Kensi's sugar withdrawal emergencies and grabbed the envelope, quickly ripping it open. His heart started to palpitate at an alarming rate and his throat tightened. It _was_ from Kensi. _"This has to be in response to the box, right?"_ He began to read, rapidly scanning the letter, his mind filling with comments, questions and thoughts as he digested her words.

_Hey Deeks, __**Hey Kens**_

_It's me, Kensi. __**I know, I recognised your writing on the envelope.**__ How are you? __**Good, better now I have this.**_

_I'm fine. __**Hmmm? Really?**__ I miss you guys. __**We, I, miss you too.**__ Work is more fun when you're doing it with friends, people you trust to always have your back. __**I'm going to interpret that as you prefer working with me. **_

_It was odd being away for Christmas. __**Tell me about it.**__ We did have Christmas lunch though. __**That's nice.**__ I'm not convinced it was turkey. __**Huh? **__Pretty sure it was bearded vulture. __**Monty and I had pot roast, sounds much tastier.**__ Still, it was kind of Sabatino to make an effort and cook it. __**Sabatino? Sabatino? What the hell is he doing there?**__ Granger was funny and refused to eat any of it. __**Who cares what Granger ate? I want to talk about Sabatino.**_

_Sabatino isn't exactly how you'd remember him. __**I'll bet he is.**__ He's a little bit full of himself if I'm honest. __**He's exactly as I recall him then.**__ To prevent any potentially awkward situations I've told him about, well, that, you know, I am no longer available for drinks next time he is in Los Angeles. __**Good. To. Know.**_

_Do you have plans for New Year's Eve__**? Nothing much, celebrating without you feels rather empty.**_

_The mission is really heating up now. __**It is? In what way? Are you in greater danger? I hope someone is watching your back. Not Sabatino… **__I think things will reach a crescendo fairly soon and then once it's over I'll be able to come home. __**Home? How long do you mean by 'soon'? **__Maybe just another couple of months.__** Now that's what I'm talking about. **_

_Happy New Year Deeks. __**Happy New Year Kensalina.**__ Stay safe. __**And you. **__Give Monty a big hug from me. __**Is it wrong to be jealous of my dog?**_

_Kensi x_

"_That's it? Nothing about the box?"_ Deeks skimmed the page again, checking for any mention of the gift he had sent her, a heavy feeling settling in his heart as he considered what her lack of acknowledgement could mean. He turned the page over and smiled, the crushing feeling immediately lifting from his chest.

_P.S. I opened the box._ **Ah, here it is.** _It made me laugh._ **Good.** _And cry._ **Sorry.** _But in a good way. _**Is there a good way to cry?**

_Thank you, Deeks. For everything. You know what I mean. _**I do. **

_I intend to keep my promise._ **Me too.**

_K_

Deeks closed down his laptop, packed the letter in his bag and headed out of the building, a spring in his step, flicking off the lights as he went. He no longer felt the need to stay at work in order to distract him from worrying about Kensi on New Year's Eve. He could go home and relax, maybe even grab an uninterrupted night's sleep. Kensi was safe and thought she might be home in a matter of weeks. She knew he was waiting for her and hadn't changed her mind about figuring things out. It was the best possible start to the new year.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO**

**A/N – I was thinking of maybe adding one more chapter? An epilogue perhaps?**


	4. Epilogue

**A/N This is the final part of The Most Precious Gift. I have been surprised and touched by the number of reviews, favourites and follows this story has garnered and am grateful for each one. It was lovely writing it knowing so many people were interested. **

**Thank you to EmmyLou74, pracarual and bookdiva – your support and advice has been much appreciated. x**

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

It was going to be just another day. Now it was THE day. Deeks flopped into his chair, throwing his bag on the desk and stared again at the note in his hand. There was no message, just three facts – a time, a date and a place, scrawled in Hetty's writing. He knew what it meant, absolutely, no doubts. Kensi was coming home. Today. _It's going to be a long day._

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Kensi felt lighter than she had in months. She had done her job, it was over. She sang, somewhat off key, moving quickly around the confined space she had slept in, or rather, failed to sleep in, during the classified mission, whilst throwing various belongings into her bags, taking care with one important object which she wrapped carefully in layers of clothing before placing it gently in the centre of the holdall. She was going home. Today. She smiled as she considered what the next few days may entail – a restful night's sleep, _on the right side of the bed, _comfy clothes, _yoga pants and a soft, faded LAPD T-shirt_, the beach, _maybe some surfing_, a burger, _with beers, on my couch and America's Next Top Model_, family and friends, _Mum, the guys, Monty. And Deeks._ She smiled softly. _Definitely Deeks._

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

It was 5.30 pm. The note had stated 6 pm. Deeks was early. Having left work at 4, rushing home to shower, change and walk Monty, he had then found himself incapable of doing anything other than pace around his apartment, watching the second hand on the clock move tortuously slowly, feeling as though time may actually be standing still. Unable to wait a moment longer he had grabbed his gun, wallet and phone from the table, scratched Monty behind the ear, reassuring him confidently "don't worry buddy, you'll see her soon", and raced to his car.

The LA traffic had been uncharacteristically kind and with the satnav's assistance he'd experienced no difficulties finding the small, little known airstrip Hetty's note had directed him to. And now he had time to sit and think, to contemplate what the next few days may hold – the best sleep ever, _on the left side of the bed,_ lazy breakfasts, _stacks of pancakes, maybe a donut or two,_ relaxed dinners_, take out whilst watching a movie,_ time with his best friend, _Kensi_. He smiled happily. _Definitely Kensi._

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Kensi wriggled in the cramped aeroplane seat trying desperately to ease her aching muscles. They had been in the air for over 12 hours and she had been surprised that despite her exhaustion, deep sleep had evaded her and she had merely napped, fitfully, on and off during the flight. She pulled the blanket tighter around her, bringing the edge nearer to her face and closed her eyes, determined to spend at least some of the remaining time on the plane resting. As she began to doze once more, her thoughts turned to her impending arrival in Los Angeles.

_Will he be there, waiting for me at the airstrip? Does he know I'm coming home today? Surely he'll be there if he does? Would Hetty have told him? I hope he'll come on his own. I'm not sure I could face Callen and Sam right now, although I wouldn't mind a cuddle with Monty. What am I going to say to him? Should I hug him? Will he kiss me? I look a mess. I wish I was wearing something nicer, that my hair looked better. What if someone else is meeting me? No, he'll be waiting for me at the airstrip. He's always there for me. I want to see him._

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

_Will she be expecting me? What if she would have preferred to go straight home on her own? Being back will take some major adjusting to, after all. Should I have brought something with me? Flowers? No, she'd hate that. Do I look ok? This shirt is nothing special. Maybe I should have organised for everyone to be here, they've all missed her too. I don't think she'd want that though, before she's had some down time. I could have brought Monty, she would probably have liked that. Should I kiss her? Will I still be able to tell what she's thinking? It may have been better to ask her Mum to meet her. But I know how she feels about me. She'd choose me to be here. I want to see her._

Deeks eyes flew open and his head snapped up at the unmistakeable sound of a plane circling above, preparing to land. The light was now fading as the sun started to set but Deeks watched intently as the plane touched the ground and slowly came to a halt. He stayed seated, gathering his thoughts and steeling his nerve to exit the car. He knew he had to move, to get into a position where she would see him waiting for her. His legs felt leaden, weighed down by expectation and anticipation. _C'mon man. This is the moment you've been dreaming of for months._ He exhaled deeply, twice, and pushed open the door.

**xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Deeks stood, leaning against a wall, just 200 feet away from the plane, trying to adopt a casual, yet attentive, stance. _This is ridiculous, I'm not going to keep still the second I see her anyway and she's unlikely to notice how I'm standing._ He couldn't believe how long it was taking for the passengers to emerge. _What on earth are they doing in there?_

Eventually a stream of people he didn't know or recognise appeared in the doorway and descended from the plane. Deeks' heart constricted as he suddenly spotted long brown curls blowing in the breeze. There she was. She was really home. Alive, safe and only yards from him, almost within touching distance. A young marine appeared behind her who, clearly trying to be helpful, held out his hand, offering to carry her large holdall to the ground. Deeks chuckled wryly as he witnessed Kensi whip the bag away from the marine and advance determinedly down the steps. _That's my girl._

Deeks prised himself away from the wall and began walking slowly towards the plane, never taking his eyes from Kensi's face. As her feet hit the tarmac she looked up, noticing him immediately. Their eyes locked, they both stood still, unsure how to react or what to do next.

_She's back._

_He's here._

_She looks exhausted. She's lost weight._

_He looks tired. And scruffy. _

_She is so beautiful. I will tell her every day._

_He looks great. It won't do his ego any good if I tell him that very often._

_I want to hold her, to prove she's really home._

_I want him to hold me, to help erase everything I've seen and done._

_Should I kiss her?_

_Please, please don't kiss me in front of all these people._

They began to move towards each other, unhurriedly, never losing eye contact. Deeks' hand strayed to the back of his head, palm brushing agitatedly across the nape of his neck. Kensi's lower lip caught between her teeth, and she bit it anxiously. They stopped, inches apart and for a brief moment simply gazed at each other, both overwhelmed by their emotions and stunned to finally be reunited.

Deeks offered a nervous smile and, swallowing any awkwardness, reached out, tenderly tucking a loose curl behind her ear. "Hey Fern."

"Hey," returned Kensi, glancing at the ground as she slid a bag from her shoulder and it fell next to her holdall on the floor.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine." Kensi sighed lightly in response to Deeks' raised eyebrow. "Good, I'm good. You?"

"I'm good if you're good." Deeks paused, faltering over his next question. "So, er, need a ride?"

"Sure." Kensi suddenly grinned. "Seems I left my flying carpet on the plane."

Deeks beamed at her, relief flooding his features."Touché Blye. Touché. Come on, car's this way."

"Want me to drive?" Kensi asked in a teasing tone.

"Seriously? You've been back 2 minutes! Your choice – you can drive OR you can pick the radio station."

"Music. I'm too tired to drive anyway."

"Ok, Danielle Petrionelle and Harvey McKay it is." He muttered under his breath.

"Since when do you know any techo artists?" Kensi queried curiously.

Deeks' face flushed a little as he smiled at her sheepishly. "Since you left the radio tuned to some random techno station then disappeared for 4 months." He was delighted to see the corners of Kensi's mouth twitch upwards in response to his reply.

"Actually, I'm not sure if I can just go. Granger will probably want me to attend a debriefing or something."

Deeks decided not to acknowledge the obvious subject change and observed Kensi check the surrounding area, looking for Granger. Both noticed him approach a shiny black SUV before he turned, glancing in their direction. Granger's eyes fixed on Kensi and he nodded, giving a half wave, half salute, before jumping into the car and speeding away in the opposite direction.

"Seems he has a better offer." Kensi commented dryly.

"As do you." Deeks replied, a small smile appearing as he looked between Kensi and Granger's rapidly disappearing car.

Kensi blushed and looked briefly at her feet before lifting her chin and raising her eyebrows. "Hmm, not sure about that. Although I have really missed..." She paused then smirked, "…Monty."

A joyful laugh escaped Deeks' mouth and he mustered all his will power to prevent him from scooping her into a giant hug. "So, we done here?" He asked, gesturing vaguely around them.

"Yep, guess so." Kensi replied softly.

Deeks turned to Kensi, determined to root them in normality as quickly as possible. "Are you, are you hungry?"

"Oh yeah. What do you feel like?"

"Er, I don't know. I was thinking, you know, something like tacos, maybe?"

"Perfect." Kensi practically began to salivate, thinking of the delicious, greasy take out.

"Perfect."

Deeks lifted her bags off the ground, slinging the rucksack over one shoulder, waiting for a protest from Kensi. When none came he rejoiced inwardly at the significance of her accepting his help, and inclined his head in the direction of the car. Deeks twisted slightly towards Kensi whilst walking and gently bumped his shoulder to hers, grinning in return when he was rewarded with an eye roll and a smile. Kensi gravitated nearer his side and they walked, as they had done so often in the past, close together, arms brushing against each other.

Silently acknowledging the shift in their relationship, Deek's right hand grazed Kensi's left. Both continued to face ahead as they moved towards the car, neither commenting on the intimate gesture nor pulling their hand away. Cautiously, tentative fingertips touched as knuckles shyly intertwined.

And there they were; ready to resume what had only just begun before an enforced hiatus. Both realised challenges lay ahead as they tried to balance their professional partnership and personal relationship but Deeks knew how important he was to Kensi and Kensi was confident Deeks wouldn't leave her alone. Consequently there was no pressure to figure out the rest immediately. The possibilities were endless. They had all the time in the world.


End file.
